Hide'n'Sleep
by Muggle Jane
Summary: It started as a game, but then it got cold and dark and Ginny didn't know how to get home. Oneshot, written for the Duct Tape Challenge and the Holiday Competition


**A/N: Uh. Disclaimer of not owning any of the characters. Not even Mrs. Diggory, although I gave her a first name. I tried to write this a little differently. Written for the Duct Tape Challenge and the Holiday Competition. Ginny is 4 or 5.  
**

It had started out as a game of Hide'n'Seek. Even Percy had come out of his room to play with his younger siblings. Ron had been "it," of course, and Ginny had the perfect hiding spot. There was a hollow tree not too far into the treeline and she was just small enough to fit in it, so she took her favorite stuffed gnome and slipped inside.

She heard Percy get caught, and she had to giggle at the long talking-to Ron got from him about proper hiding places and proper counting procedure. Percy talked a lot and liked to use big words.

And then there was screaming and something about spiders- Ron hated spiders- and then quiet. Ginny was determined to win, though, and she stayed where she was. _Sometimes Fred only pretends to be quiet so that you'll come out and then he'll catch you_. She shook her head and bit her lips between her teeth. _She_ wasn't going to get caught.

It was warm, though. Mum had insisted she wear the cloak that used to be George's, even though none of her brothers had to wear one. _It's just not fair_. She slid down so that she was sitting and leaned her head against the rough wood inside the tree. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier and, lulled by the sound of the breeze in the trees, she fell asleep.

It was dark when she woke up. It was colder too, she was glad that she had the cloak. She pulled Daisy, the stuffed gnome Mum had made for her, a little closer to cuddle. She couldn't really see outside the tree anymore, so she crawled out and stood up, still clutching the gnome in one arm. It was very dark, there wasn't much of a moon that night either. The night pressed in on her from all directions. She was hungry, too, the rumble of her stomach reminding her that she'd missed tea, and probably dinner.

"Fred?" she called softly into the night. "George?" No answer. "Ron?" Silence, except for the crickets singing their nighttime song. "Mum? Daddy?" Ginny looked all around her, listening carefully, but she couldn't see or hear anyone. "We gotta get home," she bravely told Daisy. She knew how to get home in the brightness of daytime when she could see everything, but even the trees looked different at night. "I think it's this way."

She started walking. She took slow and careful steps, her eyes fixed on the shadowed ground so she wouldn't trip over anything. The trees loomed up all around her, seeming to reach up almost to the sky. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't want to scare Daisy.

She walked and walked until her feet started to hurt. She was cold and hungry and the shadows were starting to jump out at her. "It's ok," she whispered to Daisy. "We're ok."

_Is that a light_?She could see a light moving through the trees. "Ginny?" She heard her name called, but that wasn't anyone she knew. It was a lady, not Mum, not Aunt Muriel. The lady had a wand like Mum, though, and the end was glowing. She broke into a run, the grass tickling over the lower parts of her legs that her skirt left bare.

"I'm Ginny," she called to the lady.

"Thank Merlin," she heard the lady say, and she started moving toward Ginny. "Are you alright?" she asked as they met beside a dark tree.

Ginny nodded. "I'm cold," she said, looking up at the lady. The lady looked nice, she had dark hair and her eyes were worried.

"You're very far from home," the lady told her as she took the cloak off of her own shoulders and knelt down to wrap it tightly around the young witch. She was older than Daddy but not as old as Aunt Muriel."I'm Ophelia Diggory, I live just over the river. Your Mummy and Daddy asked me to help look for you."

The little girl held up her stuffed gnome. "This is Daisy," she introduced solemnly. "She's my friend."

"Daisy is very pretty. Have you ever Apparated before, Ginny?" Mrs. Diggory asked kindly.

Ginny nodded. "Sometimes. Mum says it's hard to get around with all of us sometimes."

Mrs. Diggory chuckled. "I can understand that. Take my hand and I'll get you home, alright? I bet you're hungry."

The redhead nodded, her eyes wide and serious. She slipped her grimy hand into the bigger one and she felt the familiar twisting, squishing feel of Apparation. In a moment, she was just outside the garden at her home. The door was open and Percy was standing just inside, looking very self-important. That was the look he wore when Mum asked him to keep an eye on his younger siblings.

"There you are," he said, coming out of the house toward them. "You gave Mum and Dad quite a scare, you know," he scolded, looking cross.

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. "You can't talk to me like that," she said.

Mrs. Diggory looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh. "I'll go see if I can find your Mum and Dad."

Ginny marched past Percy and went inside. There was a plate waiting for her on the table and she started eating, even though the food was cold. George and Fred came in, followed by an unhappy-looking Ron.

"Where'd you hide, Ginny?" George asked, sitting down on her left. "That was brilliant."

"Not telling," she said around her mouthful of food. "Or you'll find me next time. Is Mum very mad?" She didn't like it when Mum got mad. There was always yelling.

"No," Fred answered, cutting off whatever Percy had been about to say. "She was sore at Ron, though, for leaving you out there." That was why Ron looked unhappy.

"You must have been so scared," Percy said importantly.

Ginny shook her head. "Was not!" She gave him her best glare.

Mum bustled in just then, followed closely by Dad. Ginny was enfolded in Mum's arms in a big, squashy hugs. Ginny loved Mum's hugs the best. "There you are!" Mum was saying. "We were so worried about you!"

"I was fine," Ginny said. "I had Daisy."

Mum and Daddy looked at each other like they did when they had a secret conversation. George and Fred did that sometimes too.

"What happened?" Daddy asked, sitting in his chair at the head of the table.

"I had a nap. It was dark when I woke up, but I had to be very brave for Daisy."

"Alright, you lot, off to bed." Her brothers were all shooed from the room, leaving the little girl alone with with Mum and Daddy. Mum looked like she was crying.

"Don't be sad, Mum!" Ginny exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and running around to wrap her arms tightly around Mum's waist.

"I'm fine. I'm fine!" Mum insisted, holding Ginny against her. "I was just so worried, Ginny. You can't be running off like that."

"I won, Mum! Ron couldn't find me." She couldn't understand why Mum was so upset.

She sighed and shared another look with Daddy. "Just promise me you'll stay close."

"Ok, Mum. Is there pudding?"


End file.
